Low fuel state - Land immediately?

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John,

the question was directed to the "experienced" folks.
What would YOU do, if for some stupid reason you find yourself in a low fuel, warning light on situation and don 't have a place to go down without scrambling the helo?

Okay, there is different ways to find out about "last minutes":
Robinson says, the light is on and you are better down within 8 min.
EC120 says, reach the yellow bar and you have no more than 15 min at MCP. When the light comes on you are lucky if you have a minute.

Any way, I take my chance and try to reach a landable spot.
SaSless is on the spot - pub comes first! But you gotta' get to it!
Not so long ago I had an "interesting" experience about low-fuel lights.
"Hurry" was to blame (...just find an excuse, of course it was my own fault....), and a bent instrument panel cover, that conveniently covered up most warning lights. By the time my mechanic (maintenance flight) saw it I was about 6nm offshore - no floats (but lifewests and raft). Neither of us had a clue for how long it was on!! The flight was about 12min by that time.
It is hard to reduce power to the most efficient level if you see the coast that close by! I got the heliport (nearest spot). I turned out there would have been enough to go back to base, but not enough to comply with the legal 20 min.
If I would have called it quits, there would be one helo less on earth and I would be in deep trouble.
This way it is just another lesson learned - "No hurry in helicopter flying!!"
I am not encouraging anyone to go ahead to a "better" spot, though. By all means if you can land, do it!!

To make things clear, first you should not get even into your legal minimum.
But if you get into trouble with fuel, don't play around when the light comes on. You can land, do it!!
If you can not, take the first chance you get, but on the way there be prepared for the worst!

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